Electrode clamp



R. H. WAPPLER ELECTRODE CLAMP Oct. 11, 1927. f 1,644,803

Filed July 1923 INVENTOR ffE/N/mLo hf W/JPPL 5/? E v I BY .7 WIT/1s? W Vfia. 012a; I M

' ATTORNEY Patented Get. 11, 1927.

UNITED STATES BEINHOLD n1. WAPPLER,

COMPANY, me, or LONG ISLAND or YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO warrrnnELECTRIC CITY, NEW YORK, a

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRODE CLAMP.

Application filed July 5, 1923. Serial No. 649,464.

My invention relates to electrode clamps equipped with electrodes of atype suitable for various medical and therapeutical uses, in connectionwith high frequency currents and with galvanic and taradic currents Moreparticularly stated, my invention contemplates an electrode clamp of thegeneral type just mentioned, but which carries a pair of electrodes somounted a'ndarranged as to be easily fitted upon various parts ofdilierent contour of the human body, and which is so constructed andarranged as to automatically hold itselt and the electrodes in positionwhile in active use, -or 1n other words is self-clinging; and which s soconstructed as to enable the operator to adapt it instantly so that itstwo electrodes may be used as'practica-lly either a single electrode ora pair of electrodes. Thus the device is a convertible bipolar andunipolar electrode clamp.

As is well known in this art, many of the electrodes heretofore usedhave in pract ce been found rather di'fiicult to apply to v ariousportions of the body, so as to remaln in place during the treatment. vFor many kinds of medical and therapeutical treatments it is necessarytouse two electrodes and to bring between these trodes the partot thebodyto be treated. Electrodes applied in this way must be held in position,however, and it the treatment is to be longcontinued this becomes adifiicult matter. It is desirable that gentle pressure be applied to theelectrodes, and that as far as practicable the pressure of theelectrodes upon the part to be treated shall be uniformly distributed,no matter what maybe the shape or the part. The pressure applied to theelectrodes for holding them in place upon the part to be, treated mustnot be too great. It bandages or mechanical holdersare employed tomaintain the electrodes in place, scrupulous care must be exercised toavoid short circuiting of the current. In some- 1nstances it isdifiicult to prevent the electrodes from slippin out of place or fromtilting, I

as for instance when theelectrodes are'not correctly fitted in positionor when thepart to which they are applied is of such contour that theydo not fit upon it accurately. When forany reason the electrodes :tailto fit neatly and accurately upon the part to which they are applied,the electr c current is apt to cause overheating to takeplace atelecsome places and the heat applied to other places is insufficient,and if galvanic or i aradic currents are used, their effects arerendered irregular and dangerous.

The objections above pointed out are over come by means of my invention.

Reference ismade to the accompanying drawing forming a part of myspecification, and in which like reference characters indi- Cate likeparts throughout the several figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved elect-rode.

. Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the device.

Figure l is a section on the line 4- .1: of Figure 1, looking in thedirection indicated by the arrows.

A of plates made of metal or other conducting material suitable for thepurpose, are supported upon a pair of arms 7, 8. For this purpose theelectrodes 5 and 6 are provided withscrews 9 and 10, which extend intonuts 11 and 12, these nuts being provided with knobs 13 and 14:. Theoperator by turning these knobs can disengage the screws 9 and and thusenable the electrodes to be removed, replaced or exchanged. V Thisarrangement facilitates the substitution of one size of plate? foranother in instances where this is desirable.

The arm 7 is provided with a portion 15, bent to form afoot, andengaging this toot is a'handle member 16,'held in position by a screw17. Secured to the handle, member 16 is a yoke 18, of substantiallyU-form, as may be understood from Figure Extending through this yoke isa bolt 19, which also extends through another yoke 20, also ofsubstantially Uform, as indicated in Figure 3.

Encircling the bolt 19 is a coiled spring 21, provided with straightenedportions 22 and 23 extending outwardly from the bolt 19. The end portion22 engages and presses against the handle member 16, and the portion 23engages and presses against a handle member 24. This handle member issecured to the yoke and inform is similar to the handle member 16. I

An L-plate 25 is held by means of ascrew 26 in position upon the arm 24:and yoke 20.

A plate 27 of insulating material is by means of a screw 28 securedtothe L-plate 25, and is thus held firmly in position. The plate 27supports the metallic arm 8, which pair of electrodes 5, 6, having theform V held firmly in position thereupon by a screw 29; and for thispurpose is provided with a portion 30, bent to form a foot, as indicatedmore particularly in Figures 1 and 1'.

The arms 7 and 8 are thus practically j0ur naled upon the bolt 19, andthus adapted to rock upon this bolt as a pivot.

The plate 27 and parts carried by it constitute a small switch, as willnow be described. The plate 27 carries a screw bolt 31, which extendsthrough a washer 32 and through a switch blade 33. Encircling the bolt31 is a handle 34 of substantially annular form, as may be understoodfrom Figure 1-. Fitting upon the bolt 31 is a nut 35, provided with ahead 36 and aknob 37. A spring 38 engages the head 36 and the switchblade 33, so as to press the switch blade 33 the left according toFigure 4. The handle 34 carries a milled edge 39, to be grasped by theoperator for the purpose of turning the handle 3 1.- The switch blade 33is secured to the handle, so that when the handleis turned the switchblade 33 i is brought into and out of engagement with the L-plate 35 andthe foot 30.

For limiting the travel of the switch blade 33 I provide two stop pins40 and 4:1, as shown more particularly in Figure 3. When the handle 34Lis turned in a clockwise direction according to Figure 3 until theswitch blade 33 lodges against the stop pin 41 as indicated in Figure 3,the switch blade makes good contact with the L-plate 25 and the foot 30,so as to maintain the arm 8 in metallic contact with the L-plate 25; butwhen the handle 3 1 is turned in a counterclockwise direction accordingto Figure 3, until the switch blade 33 lodges against the stop pin 10,metallic communication between the L-plate 25 and the arm 8 is broken,these two parts being thoroughly insulated from each other by the plate27.

A pair of binding posts 12 and 43 are mounted respectively upon thehandle member 16 and the metallic arm 8, for facilitating the connectionof electrical conductors, such cords or wires, with these parts.

The coil spring 21 is under tension, so that the operator by pressingthe handle members 16 and "24 toward each other can overcome the tensionof the spring 21 and thus cause the electrodes 5, 6 to move apart. Thisdone the clamp as a whole is brought into such position that the part ofthe human body to be treated is located between the electrodes 5, 6. Theoperator next gently relaxes his pressure upon the handle memhere 16 and24, whereupon the tension of the spring 21 causes these handle membersto move apart and the arms 7 and 8 to move toward each other, thuscausing the electrodes 5, 6, to be pressed firmly against the oppositesides of the part to be treated.

Whenever the device is to be used as a unipolar electrode clamp theswitch, 1s brought into the position indicated and current is suppliedthrough either of the binding posts 42 or 43. In this event some otherelectrode is applied to some other part of the body, and the currentapplied passes in parallel through the two electrodes 5, 6 and throughthe part to be treated, to the other electrode.

When the device is to be used as a bipolar electrode, this means ofcourse that the currents to be applied are to pass through one of theelectrodes say the one numbered 5, thence through a part of the humanbody to the other electrode plate, say 6. For this purpose the switchhandle 34 is turned as above described, so as to disconnect the switchplate 33 from contact with the L-plate 25 and foot 30. This insulatesthe arm 7 fromthe arm 8, so that if currents now be supplied through thebinding posts 42 and 43, the electrode plates 5, 6 are energized inopposite senses, and the device thus acts as a bipolar'electrode.

As may be readily seen from the foregoing description, I use in thisinstance a hand-operated switch mounted upon and carried by the clamp,for the purposeof short circuiting the two electrodes in order to causethem to serve as a single electrode, or to virtually insulate them fromeach other so as to cause the two electrode plates to serve as twoelectrodes. f

However I do not limit myself to the use of the switch or the purposethus outlined. Neither do I limit myself to the particular form hereshown for any of the mechanism, nor to this particular arrangementofparts,

the scope of my invention being commensu- 1 rat-e with my claims.

I claim:

-1. A device of the character described comprising apair of metallicarms insulated from each other, a pairof electrodes carried by saidarms, means for applyingelectric currents to said arms, handle membersconnected' with said arms f0 enabling the open ator'to cause them tomove apart, a switch carried by said arms and controllable by theoperator for making trical communication between said arms, and

Hi l

and breaking elecspring mechanism connected with saidarms V for forcingthem toward each other. 2. A device of the character describedcomprising a pair of metallic arms insulated from each other, meanscontrollable by. the operator for shifting the position of said armsrelativelyto each other, a pairof elec trodes carried by'said arms, and,a switch carried by said arms for the purpose of making and breakingmetallic communication between said arms.

3. A device of the character described 1 comprising a pairof'electrodes, a pair of arms made of conducting material for supportingsaid electrodes, and a switch mounted upon said arms for the purpose ofmaking and breaking electrical connection between said electrodes.

4. A device of the character described comprising a pair of armspivotally connected together and thus free to swing upon a commonpivotal center, mechanism carried by said arms and controllable by theoperator for shifting said arms into different angular position uponsaid common pivotal center, spring mechanism carried with said arms formaintaining the same always under tension, an electrode mounted uponeach of said arms, and means controllable by the operator for making andbreaking electrical communication between said arms.

5. A device of the character described comprising a pair of armsinsulated from each other, a single pivot common to both of said armsand upon which said arms are supported, said arms being movableangularly in relation to each other upon said pivot, spring mechanismfor tensioning said arms, a pair of electrodes each electrode beingcarried by one of said arms, and means for enabling the operator to movesaid arms apart.

Signed at 162 Harris Ave, Long Island City, in the county of Queens andState of New York, this 23rd day of June, 1923.

REINHOLD H. VVAPPLER.

